Adventures in the dark
> The Luminous Forest casts a magical light on the Lost World of Tambun for visitors to the theme park at night during this Chinese New Year period
ANEW attraction at Lost World of Tambun (LWOT) will soon give its night park visitors an experience they will not forget. Launching this Wednesday, just in time for the Chinese New Year celebration, the Luminous Forest is a marvel to behold.
We were given a sneak peek of Ipoh’s new attraction recently which, despite the pouring rain, still managed to light up the evening.
The journey through the forest begins with the Bridge of Luminosa, a floating bridge that takes visitors across the Swan Lake and to the entrance to the magical forest.
There, guests will be greeted by Mother Sophea, a 400-year-old willow-like tree.
The Malayana tribe, the people who live in the forest, believe Mother Sophea is the one responsible for spreading the magical seeds that grew into the incandescent trees that light up the woods at night.
Within the Luminous Forest is the glowing Laka Falls. Its water is used to make healing elixirs.
Visitors will also be able to see the Shadowfang – a 16-foot-long guardian of the forest, the Garden of Light, filled with flowers of peculiar shapes and sizes, and the Malayana Throne, where Chief Kukuntalu resides.
Deeper still in the forest lie areas like the Wapi Springs, the Toadstool Field, and a whole lot more.
According to Nurul Nuzairi Mohd Azahari ( right), general manager of Lost World of Tambun, the new attraction took approximately a year to build, and costs RM1 million.
“The Luminous Forest is designed by the staff and talents within Sunway and Lost World of Tambun. The credit goes to them.
“It took a year of trial and error to make the Luminous Forest a reality. It is built on 1.5 acres of land, and we wanted it to keep the nature there as pristine as possible.” He noted that the water features in the Luminous Forest are actually natural springs. It took them several tries to incorporate the spring without changing its flow, which could lead to landslides. Nuzairi added that the Luminous Forest was also designed with guests’ safety and comfort in mind. The walkways are made to be non-slip – a welcome feature on a rainy night – the fire torches that lit specific areas are placed at least two feet away from the sidewalk and beyond the guard rails, and the levels of illumination throughout the Luminous Forest are carefully thought out so guests can still see their surroundings despite the darkness.
LWOT will also hold a line-up of shows and activities in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festive season.
This includes the upbeat Luminous Lunar Dance, A Luminous Affair Show, the Chief Kukuntalu treasure giveaway, and Fortune Time with the god of prosperity.
Guests can also place their wishes on the Wishing Wall, test their balancing skills at the Grandmaster Chopstick game, catch lucky coins at the Go Gold Adventure, or Count the Lucky Stars at Luminous Alley for a chance to win prizes.
The Luminous Forest opens to the public on Wednesday from 7.30pm onwards, and is the newest addition at LWOT’s Ultimate Night Park, which includes the existing attractions like Lost World Hot Springs & Spa By Night, and Lost World Petting Zoo By Night.